Such refrigerator and/or freezer is known from the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,545 B2 discloses a refrigerator in whose foot region a damper is arranged, which consists of a piston movably accommodated in a cylinder, which is inserted into the cylinder by means of a piston rod, when the door is closed. The cylinder is pivotally arranged on the body of the appliance and extends substantially parallel to the side wall of the appliance. The refrigerator known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,545 B2 furthermore includes means for producing a closing force, which are formed by a coil spring which is tensioned when the door is opened and exerts a closing force onto the door or flap over a specified angular range, so that an automatic and damped closing of the door is effected in said angular range.
It is the object of the present invention to improve a refrigerator and/or freezer as mentioned above such that with an opening angle of the door or flap above a specified angle, the door or flap stops in its position determined by the user of the appliance, and that with an opening angle of the door or flap below the specified angle, an automatic closing of the door or flap is effected.
This object is solved by a refrigerator and/or freezer appliance with a door or flap for closing an appliance interior, with a hinge, by means of which the door or flap can be swivelled relative to a body of the appliance. Accordingly, it is provided that the hinge includes means for producing a closing force, wherein the means for producing a closing force includes an eccentric as well as means which produces a force that acts on the eccentric and is dependent on the opening angle of the door or flap. In accordance with the invention, it thus is provided that in dependence on the opening angle a closing force acts on the door or flap, which is due to the fact that a force is exerted on an eccentric of the hinge.
It is conceivable for instance that the eccentric is configured such that above an opening angle of 55° no more forces which cause a closing movement will act on the door or flap. Thus, the door or flap remains in the position into which it was brought by the user. In this way, it is prevented that from a specified opening angle the door automatically moves into the open end position or is closed automatically. Thus, damages to the appliance, which possibly are caused by unintentional opening of the door, are prevented.
The means which produce a force acting on the eccentric can be configured and arranged such that it exerts a compressive force onto the surface of the eccentric. The eccentric can be configured and arranged such that in a first angular range the compressive force produces no torque acting on the eccentric, so that the door or flap stops, and in a second angular range produces a torque acting on the eccentric, which leads to the closing of the door or flap.
The hinge can include a first hinge lever and a second hinge lever, one of which is pivotally connected with the door or flap and the other one is pivotally connected with the body of the appliance, wherein the eccentric and the means which produce a force acting on the eccentric each are pivotally arranged on one of the hinge levers or both on one of the hinge levers.
In a further aspect of the invention it is provided that the hinge includes a first hinge lever and a second hinge lever, one of which is pivotally connected with the door or flap and the other one is pivotally connected with the body of the appliance, and that the hinge furthermore includes a tension lever which is pivotally arranged on the eccentric and on one of the hinge levers, wherein the axis on which the tension lever is pivotally attached to the eccentric does not coincide with the axis of rotation of the eccentric. Via the tension lever, the torque acting on the eccentric is converted into a force which leads to the closing of the door or flap.
In a further aspect of the invention it is provided that the means which produces a force acting on the eccentric include one or more compression springs and a roller or a sliding element which runs on the surface of the eccentric or acts on the same.
In a further aspect of the invention, the means which exerts a force acting on the eccentric are configured as leaf springs, leg springs, spiral springs or coil springs.
In a further aspect of the invention it is provided that the damper includes a piston moving in a cylinder and a piston rod connected with the piston, which is pivotally attached to the hinge. In this aspect of the invention, the piston rod is directly connected with the hinge.
Furthermore, it can be provided that the piston rod is not directly connected with the hinge, but that a damper lever is provided, which is pivotally connected with the piston rod and with the hinge.
The damper can be arranged such that independent of the opening angle of the door or flap it extends approximately parallel to the plane formed by the door or flap or to the plane formed by the front side of the body.
In a further aspect of the invention, one or more rollers are provided, which are arranged on the damper lever and are configured such that at least when the door or flap is closed, they absorb forces acting transverse to the piston rod of the damper. It is conceivable that when the door or flap is closed, the forces acting transverse to the piston rod are absorbed via the rolling friction, and when the door is opened, they are absorbed via one or more sliding elements running in one or more grooves.
Accordingly, it can be provided that one or more sliding elements are directly or indirectly arranged on the damper lever, which are guided in one or more grooves of a carrier. It is possible to provide a configuration both with one or more sliding elements and with one or more rollers. It is likewise conceivable to omit the rollers and absorb transverse forces exclusively via the sliding elements both when opening and when closing the door.
For the purpose of varying the damper stroke, it can be provided that one or more spacers are insertable into the groove, so that the free groove length is varied.
The damper lever can releasably be connected with the piston rod such that it is coupled with the piston rod over a first opening angle of the door or flap and that it is uncoupled from the piston rod over a second opening angle of the door or flap. In this way, shortening of the required damper path can be achieved.
In a further aspect of the invention it is provided that the hinge includes a connecting link guide in which means are guided, which exerts a force acting on the eccentric. By changing the connecting link guide, the closing characteristic of the arrangement can be varied.
The hinge can include a first lever and a second lever, one of which is pivotally connected with the door or flap and the other one is pivotally connected with the body of the appliance, wherein the connecting link guide is arranged in one of the levers.
The means which produces a force acting on the eccentric can be pivotally arranged about a pivot point, whose position can be varied. In this way, it is possible to vary the door closing force or the closing behavior of the door. It is conceivable to form the pivot point by an eccentric bolt.
In a further aspect of the invention it is provided that the damper includes a piston moving in a cylinder and a piston rod connected with the piston and that for the purpose of varying the damping behavior the position of the piston with respect to the damper cylinder is changed. This relative movement can be achieved by changing the pivotal attachment/arrangement of the damper cylinder on a carrier or the like and/or by changing the pivotal attachment of the piston rod.
In a further aspect of the invention, a carrier is provided, in which the damper is arranged, wherein the damper is connected with the carrier for instance by means of a positive connection, preferably by means of a latching connection. In this way, it is achieved that the damper can easily be mounted in the carrier and that the damper can easily be replaced, if necessary.
Particularly preferably, a module is provided, which includes a carrier, in or on which both the damper and the hinge are arranged, wherein the module is inserted into the door or flap or into the body of the appliance as a unit. Such modular construction is particularly advantageous, because the mounting effort is minimal and because a change in the door stop can be performed with very little effort. In principle, such modular construction can also be omitted. However, this involves disadvantages for instance when changing the door stop, since the individual components of the hinge or damper of the invention then must directly be incorporated in the door or in the body.
In a further aspect of the invention it is provided that the hinge and the damper and in particular the module according to claim 20 is arranged outside the cooled region of the appliance. Temperature fluctuations and the disadvantage of a possible formation of condensation water are effectively prevented in this way, and the service life of hinge and damper is prolonged correspondingly.
It is conceivable to arrange the hinge and the damper for instance in a region of the door which lies outside the region surrounded by the door seal. This can be in the lower region or also in the upper region of the door. The same applies to an arrangement of hinge and damper on the body.
The damper and in particular the module can be arranged in the side of the door facing the body or in the side of the body facing the door. The damper and in particular the module can be arranged substantially parallel to the plane formed by the door or substantially parallel to the plane formed by the front side of the body.
The module can be connected with the door or with the body of the appliance by a positive connection, in particular by a latching connecting and/or screw connection. It is conceivable for instance that the module is fixed in the door or in the body in a particularly simple way by positive connection. If necessary, locking can be effected by one or more screws.
The invention furthermore relates to a refrigerator and/or freezer with a door or flap for closing the appliance interior, with a hinge by means of which the door or flap can be swivelled relative to the body of the appliance, wherein the hinge includes means for producing a closing force acting in closing direction of the door or flap, and with a damper which at least over a part of the closing movement of the door or flap applies a force directed against the closing movement of the door or flap, wherein the means for producing a closing force comprise a tension cable which on the one hand is connected with the hinge and on the other hand with one or more tension springs.
The present invention furthermore relates to a refrigerator and/or freezer with a door or flap for closing the appliance interior, with a hinge by means of which the door or flap can be swivelled relative to the body of the appliance, wherein the hinge includes means for producing a closing force acting in closing direction of the door or flap, and with a damper which at least over a part of the closing movement of the door or flap applies a force directed against the closing movement of the door or flap, wherein the means for producing a closing force and the damper are formed by an electric drive.
The invention furthermore relates to a refrigerator and/or freezer with a door or flap for closing the appliance interior, with a hinge by means of which the door or flap can be swivelled relative to the body of the appliance, wherein the hinge includes means for producing a closing force acting in closing direction of the door or flap, and with a damper which at least over a part of the closing movement of the door or flap applies a force directed against the closing movement of the door or flap, wherein a module is provided, which includes a carrier in or on which the damper and the hinge are arranged, wherein the module is inserted into the door or flap or into the body of the appliance as a unit.
Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in detail with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawing, which show a floor-mounted appliance in accordance with the present invention. In the drawings: